Windshield repair is a process that combines modern technology and skill to fill a damaged area on a windshield with special clear adhesive resin. When done properly, the damaged area’s strength is restored as is most of the clarity.

Repairing a damaged windshield makes sense for several reasons. Repairs save money by preventing the need for costly replacement, and are very convenient taking only a few minutes. Repairs are also safe, as the glass is never removed and the original factory seal is maintained. With the rising price of modern automotive glass and the high rate of faulty installations, it’s a very economical, convenient and safe alternative!

A small fraction of what it would cost to completely replace the windshield! On average, replacing a windshield on a modern car or SUV will cost from $300 to $500, even more if it has an antenna, defroster or sensor built in to it. Rates for our repair services can be found here.

The objective here is to keep moisture and dirt out of the break to obtain the best repair possible.
1. Get some clear packing tape like UPS box tape. Never use duct tape, scotch tape, masking tape or the blue painters tape because moisture will get under it and contaminate the damage.
2. Wipe the windshield damage off with something dry NEVER get it wet. A paper towel or a soft towel works great.
3. Put a small piece of tape on the outside of the windshield over the damage be careful not to touch the crack because you can cut yourself.
4. Call us we are your windshield repair professionals.
Note: The tape will not prevent the windshield damage from spreading it will just keep any contamination from entering the repair, giving you the best repair possible.

The most common is caused by impact, It occurs when a rock or an other object hits the windshield. the less common are either a twist or stress crack, this crack occurs when the windshield is twisted, either by flexing in the vehicles frame or because of improper mounting. it can be helped along by a rock chip in the edge of the windshield. if your windshield ever cracks and there is not a point of impact on the crack it should not be repaired because there is a good chance of another crack starting from the same area, If the vehicle is new take it back to the dealership there is a good chance there is something resting against the glass on the frame like a piece of slag from when the vehicle was manufactured.

Most of us would agree that a windshield is a structural part of a vehicle, it acts as a safety net keeping objects out and helps to hold occupants in case air bag deployment. It also adds strength to the vehicle cabin  compartment in the case of an accidental roll over.  Its always a good idea to choose the best auto glass replacement company when you need a new windshield, considering it is a major safety component to a vehicle.

Today one of my customers asked me if i use a lighter like the last windshield repair he had done.my reply was no way and any windshield repair tech that uses a lighter does not have a clue of what they are doing butane burners at 2000 to 2400 degrees F any temp above 80 degrees will cause the adhesion properties in the resin to break down. not to mention they could make the damage spread or in the case
of a star break expand the legs closed. To many poorly trained techs out there.

Every now and them I get called out for surface chips unfortunately there is nothing i can do for these. A surface chip is when a rock hit a windshield and takes a small piece of glass out of the windshield usually these are superficial, most common are about the size of a tip of a ink pen to a 1/8 inch in dia.unless there is a small crack or a dark black area under them don’t sweat it they should be fine.

Every now and then when i arrive to do a rock chip repair i see that my customer has put clear nail polish on the repair thinking that it will stop the cracking process. Not True, this will only hinder the repair process nail polish is way to thick to make it down in side the chip, not to mention it is not formulated for windshield repair.

From a windshield repair stand point i do just as many repairs on Factory Windshields as i do on after market windshields.The repairs seem do turn out the same assuming all things are equal.

Funny fact a large percentage of people when they get a chip in there windshield will touch the glass on the inside to see it came through. I guarantee if it comes through you will know it. It will be so big there will be no doubt. Once i had a customer,  a lug nut sheared off  another cars wheel, penetrated the windshield, the damage was about the size of a baseball.Lucky for her it skipped off her dashboard and went in the passengers seat.Windshields are made up of two pieces of glass with a piece of safety plastic sandwiched between them, it helps keep objects out and passengers in the car in case of a accident.

One of the large auto glass repair companies advertise windshield repair up to the size of a dollar bill. To clarify what they mean: A single line crack up to the length of a dollar bill. At Glas Tek we can do single line crack up to 14 inches in length using the ONLY patented resin on the market.

I will tell them sure I don’t mind just don’t stand too close. There is always a chance of resin squirting out of the injector when I slide it to the side to inspect the repair.  UV windshield repair resin has acrylic acid in it.  I always have to wear glasses when doing a repair.  There is a 1 in 100 chance the resin will squirt out, trust me, it will burn your eyes and skin so I never let them stand too close.

The answer is very simple there is much more profit in a windshield replacement. At Glas Tek all we do is windshield repair so if we don’t repair we don’t get paid,  So we will do everything possible to repair your windshield when other companies will only do rock chips up to the size of a Quarter.

Recently I ran across one of my major competitors ads in the sponsored ads of Google.  I had to laugh. They wrote something like “Voted #1 in St. Louis”.  At that same time they actually had an “F” rating with the BBB in St. Louis.  At Glas-Tek,  we are the highest RATED windshield repair shop in St. Louis for windshield repairs rated by our CUSTOMERS.  We don’t rate ourselves.

At Glas Tek we specialize in windshield repair ONLY.  For all auto glass replacements we always recommend Spencer Auto Glass. They have been in business for over four decades and do the highest quality work in the St. Louis area.  Don’t take our word for it, check out for yourself their rating with the BBB is an A+.  The only auto glass replacement shop with this rating.

Yes! during the coldest winter days Glas Tek can still do high quality windshield repairs. First of all we keep our windshield repair chemicals warm by keeping them in the front of our vehicle by the heater. This keeps the viscosity perfect. Also you can always simulate a warmer day by turning the defrost on low heat, carefully monitoring it or using a halogen heat lamp on a low setting will also take the chill off the windshield. And finally if the sun is out you can pull the vehicle out in the sun. Glass warms up quickly on sunny days. The best thing a customer can do when they have a windshield repair scheduled is to have the vehicle facing opposite the wind. Windy days will definitely lower glass temperatures. The best case scenario is if covered parking is available (ie. garage/carport).

Last week i noticed a sign at a gas station that read FREE WINDSHIELD INSPECTION. It just so happened I was pulling in to fill up my vehicle. Curious as to what the guy was doing I watched him.  The first thing he would do is to clean the windshield with window cleaner and then squeegee it off and look for rock chips that might need to repaired.  The worst thing when you are about to do a windshield repair is to have moisture in the break. I always tell my customers the best thing to do when they get a crack on there windshield is to wipe it off with a DRY towel then put a piece of box tape  (UPS packing tape) over the break to keep it dry so when I arrive the windshield will be 100% dry.  Any type of solvents or washer fluids or window cleaner will just contaminate the damage taking any dirt deeper in the break. One thing about windshield cracks they are extremely open to the elements. Any moisture that gets on the windshield goes right down into the break and usually takes up to 8 hours or so to dry out in winter months.  Unfortunately there is no way to clean dirt out of a rock chip repair.  Always choose a certified windshield repair tech to do your repairs. Not some johnny come lately windshield repair tech trying to make a quick buck that is going to make the outcome of the repair WORSE !!

To remove these from your windshield, simply spray any window cleaner, such as Windex, scrape with a straight edge razor blade and wipe off window cleaner and debris with a soft dry towel or paper towel.

In the spring, watch parking under a tree if you have a windshield crack. In St. Louis when leaves start to open you will notice sap on windshields. What happens is sap gets on your windshield then the windshield gets wet either by rain or washing your vehicle, the water neutralizes the sap, the sap wicks its was down in the break (remember, once a crack is contaminated it is impossible to clean the crack out). If you do a windshield repair that has tree sap in it the out come will be bad. The appearance of the repair will not hardly change at all.

When there is a break in laminated auto glass, an air gap appears in the glass. There are surfaces inside the gap, on either side. Also, there may be crushed glass inside the break, depending on what kind of break it is. For instance, an impact break is much more likely to have crushed glass in it than a crack.

One of your competitors did a repair to my windshield about six months ago now it looks like its starting to re-appear. Why is this happening?  Top four reasons are as follows: 1. The biggest reason a windshield repair starts to re-appear is there was probably dirt in the crack when it was repaired.  The longer a windshield goes without being fixed the more contamination gets down into the damage.  The bond between the glass and chemical breaks down and the repair starts to become visible again. Unfortunately there is no way to clean the dirt out  2. The reason could be inferior windshield repair resin. Low grade resin will continue to shrink as time goes on. making the windshield repair re-appear.  3.  Poor curing technique. The windshield repair tech should always cure under pressure.  This is when 90% of the windshield shrinkage takes place.  4. Here in the mid west we have many temperature swings, anywhere from 0 to 100 degrees.  The windshield is always heating up and cooling down, with this the glass expands and contracts thus always pulling on the windshield repair bond. this is another reason why the the windshield repair can start to show up again.

The answer is yes, if a windshield cracks from the opposite side of impact it should be replaced the reason for this is the damage has penetrated both layers of glass.

There is not much you can do, the only thing that might slow down the cracking process is, keep a window slightly cracked, the next few days it is going be up in the 100s, avoid washing on hot days, avoid bumpy roads and finally call us for a second opinion.

Sometimes when you get a stone break in your windshield there could be more damage than what appears. When I examine a repair I always gently flex the glass with a probe. A lot of times the cracks that might have not been visible will show up, then I make sure they all get filled with resin. If you leave one crack unfilled you might as well have not done the repair at all because it still has the potential of spreading further.

Its always a smart thing to have your windshield chips repaired before you turn in your leased vehicle, otherwise the dealer may charge you for a new windshield. Every year Glas tek does dozens of windshield repairs on leased vehicles we also guarantee they will pass the turn in inspection.

Glas tek windshield repair always keeps the customers property in the for front of any job we do.

• Never leak oil when you pull into a customers driveway, Our service vehicles do not leak oil.
• Never wear a metal belt buckle when working on a windshield. for the obvious reason of scratching the paint.
• Never sit your tool box on the hood of a vehicle when doing a repair, even if you cover the hood with a blanket or towel do not sit the tool box on the hood. the reason for this is there is always a chance of dirt being on the paint, when you combine the weight of the tool box and blanket there is always a chance of scratching the clear coat or paint.
• When ever possible back in to the customers driveway. this way when you pull out you can focus more on children and pets running out in front of you.
• When doing a windshield repair be conscious of customers watching the repair process especially when using the UV curing lamp. the UV light could be harmful to the eyes.
• After a windshield is complete, we always clean up after our self making sure there is no extra resin left on the windshield or suction marks, cleaning the area repaired when we are finished.

When you get your windshield replaced can the replacement shop save my Stickers? Most of the time they can gently take them off with a razor blade and put them back on the windshield They usually come off very easy and look close to new when reapplied. The only exception to this is if the sticker have been on the glass for years.

Keep car windows ice and frost free. Coat the windows the night before with a solution of three parts vinegar to one part water, mist on with spay bottle. Also to keep windshield wipers from freezing to your windshield you can use news paper plastic wrappers, Just lift the wiper blade up gently and slip over wiper blade { be careful not to let the wiper arm spring back and break the windshield }.

We will always use our best judgement when we do a repair in the acute area. This area is about the size of a standard size sheet of notebook paper directly in front of the steering wheel. On an average repair we can get about 90% clarity and will pass the Missouri state safety inspection. If the repair ever fails the inspection we will refund your money. On the other hand, we will not do a repair in the acute area if we feel it will impair the drivers vision. Some high impact damage is not recommended for repair in the drivers area.

January 2014 has been one of the busiest in years for the auto glass companies in St. Louis. So far we have had a lot of temperature swings any where from minus 30 degrees windchill to 60 degrees above Fahrenheit. Also with winter weather brings snow and ice. When roads get snow and ice on them snow plows are out, the combination of snow plows and temperature swings causes pot holes, many pot holes. Small rocks are contained in the fallout of the potholes. These small rocks get picked up in tire treads and fly out from other vehicles and hit your windshield.

Can you repair a windshield if it is in shaded part on my windshield?  Yes the shaded area is no different from the clear part of the windshield the resin used will not fade this area.

At least a couple times a week I have one of my customers tell me, “I called Safelite and they wanted over $120.00 to come out and repair my windshield.”  My reply is like “really, that’s seems kinda high”, but if people are going to pay that, good for them. I personally would never pay that much for a repair.  The truth is, you can get a higher quality of repair at a lower price if they just shopped around. I can tell you Glas Tek only charges  $70.00 and our repairs are just as good if not better than Safelite. I have seen a lot of their work and can say, the repair is only as good as the technician doing the work. In other words, I am not very impressed at what they refer to as the Safelite Advantage. Don’t take my word for it, check out some of their reviews online.